The HESA Hamaseh ( fa, حماسه, Ḥamāseh, lit=Epic) is an Iranian tactical and reconnaissance

unmanned aerial vehicle An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...

(UAV) with high flight endurance built by

Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA), ( fa, شرکت صنایع هواپیماسازی ایران — هسا) or Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industries Corporation, is an Iranian aircraft production company. Established in 1976 ...

(HESA). The Hamaseh was unveiled in 2013 and entered service in 2016.

Design

The Hamaseh is a single engine, twin-boom UAV. The UAV features a bulbous forward radome; this was later reduced in size as the UAV was developed. The Hamaseh entered service with Iran in 2016. The Hamaseh can carry up to 185 kg of fuel, equipment, and payload, and has an endurance of up to 11 hours depending on configuration. It is launched via runway takeoff or

JATO JATO (acronym for jet-assisted take-off) is a type of assisted take-off for helping overloaded aircraft into the air by providing additional thrust in the form of small rockets. The term ''JATO'' is used interchangeably with the (more specific ...

, and is recovered by runway landing or, in emergencies, a parachute. The Hamaseh can follow pre-determined waypoints to control its flight. Its powerplant is unknown. The Hamaseh can carry

synthetic aperture radar Synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) is a form of radar that is used to create two-dimensional images or three-dimensional reconstructions of objects, such as landscapes. SAR uses the motion of the radar antenna over a target region to provide fine ...

, radar or communications jammers, and a camera. For weapons, it can carry small bombs, grenades, or rockets.

Operational history

The Hamaseh drone was unveiled on 9 May 2013.

Ahmad Vahidi Ahmad Vahidi ( fa, احمد وحیدی, born 27 June 1958) is an Iranian military commander of the Revolutionary Guards and current Minister of Interior since August 25, 2021. In addition, he is currently member of the Expediency Discernment Cou ...

, Iran's defense minister, claimed the drone "with its stealth quality can avoid detection by the enemy." The Hamaseh was also claimed to be a

High-Altitude Long Endurance Atmospheric satellite (United States usage, abbreviated atmosat) or pseudo-satellite (British usage) is a marketing term for an aircraft that operates in the atmosphere at high altitudes for extended periods of time, in order to provide servic ...

(HALE) platform, despite being a tactical UAV. The Hamaseh at its unveiling ceremony was "equipped" with what appeared to be munitions, but they were physically bolted to the wings, not mounted on hardpoints. Hamaseh (3)

The Hamaseh was first used during military exercises by the

IRGC Ground Forces Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Ground Forces ( fa, نیروی زمینی سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی), acronymed NEZSA ( fa, نزسا), are the land force which the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), maintain i ...

in April 2016. In 2017 HESA offered the Hamaseh for export.

Operators

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Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC; fa, سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی, Sepāh-e Pāsdārān-e Enghelāb-e Eslāmi, lit=Army of Guardians of the Islamic Revolution also Sepāh or Pasdaran for short) is a branch o ...

Specifications

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamaseh (Ucav)

Hamaseh The HESA Hamaseh ( fa, حماسه, Ḥamāseh, lit=Epic) is an Iranian tactical and reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with high flight endurance built by Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA). The Hamaseh was unveiled ...

Military equipment of Iran Unmanned military aircraft of Iran Aircraft manufactured in Iran